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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

S. W, HILDRETH. RAILWAY DRAWING HEAD.

No. 449,477. Patented Mar. 31,1891.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

S. W. HILDRETH. RAILWAY DRAWING HEAD.

No. 449,477 Patented Mar. 31, 1891.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

S. W. HILDRETH. RAILWAY DRAWING HEAD.

No. 449,477. Patented Mar. 31, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL V. I'IILDRETH, OF VOLUNTOlVN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO I IIMSELF AND IRVING F. CHASE, OF SAME PLACE.

RAILWAY DRAWING-HEAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,477, dated March 31, 1891. Application filed September 12, 1889. Serial No. 323,767- (No model.)

I To all whom it may concern.-

in details and combinations of the same, as

will be hereinafter fully described, and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanyin g drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters and numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a front view of a drawing-head with the improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same on the line :0 0c of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof.

The railway head or evener is provided with the usual frame A, in which is mounted the driving-shaft 13, carrying on one end fast and loose pulleys C, connected by a belt with suitable machinery for imparting a uniform rotary motion to the said shaft B. The latter is connected by a train of gear-wheels D, D, D D and D with the lower front roll E, above which is arranged the upper front roll E, both being mounted to turn in suitable bearings in the standards F F, held on the top of the main frame A. In the said standards are also mounted the back rolls G and G and the intermediate rolls H and II. The lower back roll G is provided on one outer end with a gear-wheel I, meshing in a pinion I, secured on a shaft 1 mounted to turn in suitable bearings on the top of the frame A and carrying a pulley 1 over which passes a crossed belt 1 also passing over a pulley I", secured on the lower cone-shaft J, mounted to turn in suitable bearings directly below the shaft B, previously mentioned. The intermediate rolls II and II are herein shown as driven from the lower back roll G by means of the gear-wheels g h h on the ends of the rolls G H H and the intermediate gear-wheels h 7L2, as shown in Figs. 2 and On the lower cone-shaft J is secured the usual cone K, over which passes the belt L, passing over the upper cone N on the upper cone-shaft B. The belt L is shifted forward and backward on the cones N and K in the usual manner by a belt-shifter 0, provided with a nut O, screwing on the screw P, which is operated by devices controlled in their action by the trumpet T. The trumpet T is carried by the shaft S, mounted on the front of the frame A and provided with the weighted arm S, connected by the rod R with the screw-operating mechanism Q, which can be of any wellknown mechanism, but is herein shown as consisting of the following parts: 011 one end of a shaft 10 is mounted a gear-wheel 2, which meshes with a gear-wheel 1 on the end of the screw P, and above the said gear-wheel 2 and pivoted to the Vibratory lever 4:, mounted on the shaft 10, are the two pawls 5. On the shaft 10, by the side of the gear-wheel 2 and under the pawl, is a disk or esoapement wheel 3, which, when turned into a certain position, will keep the pawls out of action on the gear-wheel 2, but when turned out of such position in either direction will allow one of the pawls to descend into engagement with said gear-wheel. A continual oscillatory motion is imparted to the lever 4: by a crankwheel 7, connected by rod 8 with the lower end of the lever i. The crank-wheel 7 is mounted on the shaft 9, which is provided with a pulley 92, from which a belt 93 passes to a pulley 9% on the upper cone-pulley shaft The escapementwheel 3 is provided with a crankpin, to which the rod R, connected with the arm S of the trumpet-shaft, as before described, is connected, so that the vibratory movements of the trumpet will produce corresponding rotary movements of the escapement-wheel 3. When the trumpet is balanced by the friction of the sliver in and against it and by theweight of the arm S, the escapement-wheel 3 will be in such position that neither of the pawls will be in engagement with the gear-wheel. Should, however,

the trumpet be moved forward by reason of an enlargement of the sliver or permitted to move backward by a diminution of the sliver, the escapement-wheel will be turned in one direction or the other, so as to let one of the pawls engage the said gear-wheel, thereby causing the screw to be revolved.

The trumpet T is of the usual construction and is located in front of the calender-rolls U and U, mounted to turn in suitable bearings in brackets projecting from themain frame A. The calender-rolls U and U are geared with each other by the gear-wheels U and U and the lower calender-roll U carries another gearwheel U*, in mesh with the gear-wheel D connected with the front roll E.

The operation is as follows: hen the shaft B is rotated at a uniform rate of speed, the front rolls E and E are also rotated at a uniform rate of speed on account of being directly connected by the train of gear-wheels D,D, D D and D' with the said shaft B. The rotary motion of the shaft Bis imparted by the cones N and K and the belt L to the lower cone-shaft J which, by its connection with the shaft 1 by means of the pulleys 1 and 1 and the belt I, rotates said shaft 1 and the latter, by the gear-wheels I and 1, turns the back rolls G and G and the intermediate rolls H and H at a'varying rate of speed, according to the position of the belt L on the cone-pulleys N and K. As the belt L is shifted by the forward and backward swaying motion of the trumpet T the rate of speed of thesaid back rollsG and G varies accordingly. The cotton from the carding-machine passes over the usual roller V, and then up to and between the back rolls G and G, then through the intermediate rolls H and H, from which the cotton passes to the front rollsE and E, then to and through the trumpet T, and through and between the calender-rolls U and U to be finally discharged into the usual receptacle WV, located in front of the machine. The usual speed of the rolls G G, H H, and E E is such that the cotton passed through the said rolls is drawn down finally by means of a draft between each set of rolls, each set of rolls running somewhat faster than the preceding one. The sliver as it leaves the front rolls E and E travels at a uniform rate of speed through the trumpet T, so that the swaying back and forth of the trumpet T by an uneven sliver causes the latter to rock, and thereby change the position of the belt L on the cones N and K, whereby the back rolls G and G are driven faster or slower, so as to admit more or less cotton until the sliver again becomes uniform in passing through the rolls E and E.

In railway-heads, as heretofore constructed, the back rolls G and G were driven at a uniform rate of speed from the lower cone-shaft J, which latter was connected by pulleys and a belt or other means with machinery to impart a uniform rotary motion to the said shaft J. The front rolls E and E and calenderrolls U and U were driven at a variable rate of speed from the upper cone-shaft B as the latter was driven from the lower cone'shaft J and did not, as at present, receive a direct uniform motion. By this arrangement the front rolls E and E were increased in speed when the carded cotton camein too heavy, as the extra bulk of cotton caused more friction in passing through the trumpet T, so as to draw the trumpet in toward the calenderrolls U and U, whereby the position of the belt L was shifted and the front rolls E and E traveled faster, thereby drawing down the cotton to its desired size. The shifting mechanism Q, when released, permitted the cone-belt L to remain in the same position until another movement of the screw P took place. If the cotton came in too light, the trumpet T would fall back from the calenderrolls U and U, throwing the mechanism Q into gear, so as to turn the screw P in the opposite direction, thereby retarding the speed of the front rolls E and E until the cotton again was brought up to its proper heft. By this former arrangement it will be seen that the front rollers and calendfi rollers receive the varying speed, which causes the cotton sliver to pass through the trumpet T at a varying velocity, thereby producing an uneven .tension on the trumpet, which must give an uneven heft to the cotton sliver in proportion to the varying tension as the cotton sliver passes through the trumpet T. It will further be seen that by this former arrangement the production of cotton sliver will be varied by the heft of the cotton laps on the cards, at times giving more than can well be disposed of, so as to cause inconvenience, besides overcrowding the parts, at other times falling short. This variation of laps is of frequent occurrence and is conducive to poor work. Again, in event of the cone-belt L slipping, which frequently occurs, the front rolls E and E are stopped, while the back rolls G and G are kept running, drawing in the cotton and wedging it between the back and front rolls. This frequently causes breaking of the rollersaddles and stirrups and other parts.

With my improvement all these difficulties above mentioned, as in former machines, are overcome, since in case the belt is slipping the front rolls are not affected, as they are driven directly from the shaft B. Clogging between the front and rear rolls is impossible on account of the front rolls running faster and at a more uniform rate of speed than the back rolls G G. It is understood that by the uniform rate of speed of the front rolls and calender-rolls a uniform tension is given to the trumpet, which must give the same heft of cotton sliver whether the carding comes into the railway-head too light or too heavy, as the variation of speed is now made by the back rolls G G. A uniform production must be the result, as the front rolls E and E and calender-rolls U U deliver the cotton sliver IOU at a uniform rate of speed. It will further be seen that the cone-belt L is not liable to slip on account of the upper cone receiving the direct motion with the shaft B and the lower cone not being affected by clogging between the back and front rolls.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a railwayhead, the combination of a driving-shaft provided with a cone-pulley, a second shaft provided with a cone-pulley, a belt passing over said cone-pulleys, a trumpet, a belt-shifter, means under the control of the trumpet for operating the belt-shifter, the front rolls, a train of gearing connecting the lower front roller with the driving-shaft, the back rolls, the lower one of which is provided with a gear-wheel, a third shaft provided with a gear-wheel meshing with the gear-wheel of the lower back roll, and pulleys and a belt for operating the third shaft from the lower cone-pulley shaft, substantially as described.

2. In a railway-head, the combination, with the shaft B, provided with the cone-pulley N, the shaft J, provided with the cone-pulley K, the belt L, passing over the cone-pulleys, the trumpet T, the belt-shifter O, and means under the control of the trumpet for operating the belt-shifter, of the front rolls E E, the back rolls G G, the gear-wheels D D D D D, connecting the shaft B with the lower front roll E, the shaft 1 the gear-wheels I I, connecting the shaft I with the lower back roll G, the pulley I on the shaft 1 pulley I on the cone-shaft J, and the crossed belt I, passing around said pulleys I I substantially as herein shown and described.

SAMUEL W. HILDRETH. Witnesses:

IRVING F. CHASE, GEO. W. Room. 

